'Won't move without clear roadmap on AL ban': Protesters, led by NCP, stage sit-in in front of CA's residence
The sit-in will continue until a clear roadmap is presented to ensure the Awami League is tried for genocide and its political activities are banned, says Hasnat
Highlights:
- NCP's Hasnat Abdullah announced sit-in at 9:42 on Facebook
- Sit-in kicked off at 10:00
- RAB, Police, Army deployed
- Adviser Asif Mahmud says ban on Jubo League, Swechchhasebak League imminent
- NCP leaders say they won't move without clear roadmap on AL ban
- Nahid, along with NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain joined the protesters at the spot at around 1:00am
- Adviser Asif expressed solidarity with demand to ban AL
Students and supporters of the National Citizen Party (NCP), led by the party's leaders, are staging an indefinite sit-in programme in front of Chief Adviser's official residence Jamuna, demanding a ban on the Awami League.
The demonstration kicked off at 10pm tonight (8 May).
"We will stay here until we get a clear roadmap regarding Awami League's ban," Hasnat Abdullah, Chief Organiser (South) of NCP, who had earlier announced the protest in a post on his Facebook profile, said at the sit-in programme.
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Members of RAB, army, police have been deployed at the spot, who were seen trying to calm the situation, our correspondent reports.
The protesters are chanting various slogans demanding a ban on Awami League.
"They are chanting 'Catch the League and send to jail', 'Catch the League and ensure justice,'" our correspondent report from the spot.
Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan announced that Awami League's affiliated organisations - Jubo League and Swechchhasebak League — are set to be banned and the process is now in the final stage.
NCP leaders, including its Convener Nahid Islam, swiftly responded to the announcement, saying they will not accept anything less than the ban on AL.
"The farce of banning the Jubo League and Swechchhasebak League will not be accepted. Awami League must be declared a terrorist and fascist organisation and banned. Provisions for trial as a party must be added to the ICT Act," Nahid wrote in a Facebook post at 11:23pm, shortly after Asif's announcement.
Hasnat made the same post at around the same time.
"We do not stand with those whose agendas lack a clear commitment to banning the genocidal Awami League," he also wrote in a Facebook post earlier in the day.
Adviser Asif expresses solidarity with NCP's demand to ban AL
Following the Facebook posts of the NCP leaders, Adviser Asif, in a Facebook post at 12:40am, clarified that the decision to ban Jubo League and Swechchhasebak League was made days ago and that it was not an attempt to subdue the movement demanding the ban on AL.
"The decision to ban Jubo League and Swechchhasebak League was made a few days ago. This is not a process to suppress the movement. Rather, it is another step towards banning the Awami League," he wrote.
Expressing solidarity with the demand for banning AL, he also wrote, "Personally, I think that the Awami League, as a political party that committed genocide, has no right to do politics in Bangladesh. July's pledge is to ensure the trial of the genocide perpetrators and to politically ban and eliminate the Awami League."
"Let July unite," he added.
Decision on Awami League must be made tonight: Nahid
Meanwhile, in an earlier post on Facebook at 10:24pm, shortly after the protest in front of the CA's residence kicked off, Nahid wrote, "Our promise in July was to bring the murderers to justice. And Mujibists will never be able to do politics on Bengali soil again. Tonight, the decision will be made regarding the Awami League."
"We can see that the trial of the fascist and murderous Awami League is being delayed. No decision is being taken to cancel the registration and ban the Awami League. The accused are being granted bail. The president of the illegal fascist government has been allowed to escape before our eyes. Our distrust in the government has been created on the issue of justice," the post reads.
"We will not come out of the streets until a clear roadmap for the trial, cancellation of registration and ban on political activities of the Awami League is presented," the NCP chief also wrote.
He called on all to join the protest, writing, "I call on all forces of July, all martyr families and the injured to come out on the streets. Our struggle will continue until justice is ensured."
Nahid, along with NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain joined the protesters at the spot at around 1:00am.
